January 20, 2004
Writers Lordan, Joseph to hold joint reading
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Writers Beth Lordan and Allison Joseph will hold a free, joint reading of their latest books at 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, in the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Student Center Auditorium. The authors, both members of SIUC's creative writing faculty, will be on hand after the reading to sign copies of their books.
Growing out of her sabbatical year in Ireland, Lordan's book, "But Come Ye Back," takes place in both America and Ireland, unfolding as a series of stories about an Irish immigrant, her American husband and their 30-year-old marriage. While each can stand on its own -- "Digging" and "The Man With the Lapdog" appeared first as short fiction in The Atlantic Monthly a few years back -- the stories build on each other to become more than the sum of their parts. William Morrow published the book.
Joseph's book, "Worldly Pleasures," is a collection of poems that range from character portraits to celebrations of love. It won the Word Press annual poetry prize last year while still in manuscript form. The Press, a Cincinnati-based independent firm, published the book as part of that prize.
Grassroots, SIUC's undergraduate literary magazine, is sponsoring the reading. For more information, call 618/453-6833.